Ground-Water Quality Beneath Irrigated Agriculture in the Central High Plains Aquifer, 1999-2000

In 1999 and 2000, 30 water-quality monitoring wells were installed in the central High Plains aquifer to evaluate the quality of recently recharged ground water in areas of irrigated agriculture and to identify the factors affecting ground-water quality. Each well was sampled once for about 100 water-quality constituents associated with agricultural practices. A strong statistical correlation is shown between samples affected by irrigated agriculture and sites with large rates of pesticide and nitrogen applications and shallow depths to ground water.